take a look at this website: http://tuxmobil.org/mylaptops.html
you can look at alot of users submiting their expirience with installing linux on different laptops and make your decision.

Yeah, I know the site, but it is pretty useless for one simple reason: there's no submission date for the reviews. You can only check how a laptop is supported after you've found it on a manufacturer's website. Most of the laptops are pretty antique too... It would be great if you could just check the newest submissions, so that you would get a picture of the new hardware on the market and make a decision based on the reviews.

I am just trying to avoid the usual month of planning when buying a laptop, so I was kind of hoping that someone has recently bought a laptop in the $1500-2000 range and gone through the process.

I used to have an Acer (finally died on me two weeks ago), but I wouldn't really recomend it. Currently I'm looking at a Lenovo ThinkPad.

I don't know if it was mentioned before, but nowadays ThinkPads are certified to work with Linux: see Lenovo Think Linux page. There's also the unofficial ThinkWiki.

I'm currently using my dad's ThinkPad (yay!) on WinXP (meh ) until I can get my own, and I have to say what they say about the quality of the build and the keyboard seems by no means exagerated! It feels really sturdy; the keyboard is the best I've tested so far (e.g. Dell EliteBook's keyboard is awful!), when you get past the fact that Esc and Fn buttons are elswhere then what you're usually used to; all of them have a matt screen; and usually come with a lot of nifty extras (e.g. light for the keyboard, UltraBay so you can exchange your DVD drive for an extra battery etc. on the fly). If I'll really be able to get that T500 next month, I'll hug it and be giddy as a girl!

I need a laptop for a road trip in a couple of months and my old 600X is no longer able to meet my needs, but I sure do like the Thinkpads. Nice price on the T200 on eBay. I know it'll run Ubuntu, but I've been spoiled by Gentoo. Any issues I should be aware of?

I checked out the ThinkWiki site and found a link there to the Lenovo Outlet Store, which sells refurbished units. And I stopped by the J&R site, too; looks like they have some interesting deals. Between the two of them, I think my situation may be resolved.

I'd like to purchase another used laptop and I'l like some feedback from the Gentoo community to what laptop has worked well for you.

I'm in the middle of and install I started on August 21 on a Dell Inspiron 8000.
512 megs of ram and a 80 gig HD. And I'm happy with this set up. tma ~ # uname -a
Linux tma 2.6.30-gentoo-r6 #1 PREEMPT Thu Oct 1 22:01:39 PDT 2009 i686 Pentium III (Coppermine) GenuineIntel GNU/Linux works well and was a big upgrade from my install starting in March.

I'm looking for a machine that I can wirte code on (java, gcc, python, php w/ mysql and jdbc).
I will also run avrdude and avr-gcc to work with Atmel chips.
I will run Apache and Tomcat locally to test on.

I would also like to have a serial and parralel port on board or a USB adapter.

Thinkpads have a good reputation, both in quality as well as linux compatibility. I bought a new SL500 a few months back and am absolutely happy with it!_________________"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves." - Abraham Lincoln
Free Culture | Defective by Design | EFF

Lucky you. I tried to buy a new Thinkpad some time ago and couldn't figure out where to get it from without Microsoft tax. Lenovo didn't consider me worth an answer ...

If that's what's keeping you from buying it, then good luck on a better laptop at a better price man._________________At the heart of the durability of mass schooling is a brilliantly designed power fragmentation system which distributes decision-making so widely among so many different warring interests that large-scale change is impossible to those without a codebook.

I suggest a Asus laptop, they are Linux friendly and come with a 2 year warranty. You can buy a new Asus with good specs for 500-600 euro._________________Please add [solved] to the initial post's subject line if you feel your problem is resolved. Help answer the unanswered

This was a bit of a surprise. I thought I would get a few Toshiba hits. I 've got a T61 running XP (for work) and I like it.
We had trouble with the T41s and the VGA out. But other than the VGA problem they are good laptops. I might try Gentoo on a work computer.
I'm going to start shopping around.

Thanks for the advice.
CWC_________________Without diversity there can be no evolution:)